Quick facts about cars with massage seats
Driving stress can take many forms, be it from heavy traffic on the way to the office or from driving for hours on a cross-country trip. As a result, car buyers looking for the ideal vehicle might consider upgrading by treating themselves to a vehicle model and equipping it with massage seats.
Who doesn’t want a relaxing seated circle massage after a day at the office? Or how about a hot, relaxing back massage during a road trip with the kids or after a long hike? In some cars and SUVs, passengers can even get in on the action. Car manufacturers offer massage seats in selected versions, for example in the Ford F-150 Platinum or the Volvo XC90. Yes, massage seats remain a feature of higher-priced models and trim levels. However, car manufacturers are increasingly adding more comfort features to the seats in even cheaper cars.
Here we will champion massage seats, provide a little insight into how they work, and provide a list of many current models that offer them. If you would like to jump ahead in the story, please use the jump links provided below.
Why buy a car with massage seats?
According to the AAA Foundation’s latest New American Driving Survey, drivers spend nearly an hour a day in their cars, making nearly 2.5 trips while covering about 30 miles. That’s just the average, meaning some drivers spend more time, take more trips and log more – sometimes much more – miles.
So it’s no wonder that automakers are looking for ways to provide drivers with more comfort on the road. Heated seats will help you stop freezing on a cold morning on the way to work or warm up your muscles after a long day on the slopes. On hot summer days, ventilated seats gently provide cool air to reduce your body temperature. Then some seats can be adjusted in 8, 10, 12 or even 16 or more directions.
Some experts insist that cars with massage seats can help improve blood circulation. And if that’s not enough, you can also get pleasant scents for a massage in some cars. For example, Mercedes offers a hint of fresh forest scents such as citrus, thyme, bergamot and pink pepper scents in your vehicle, with hints of cedarwood and pine among the many scents. If only you could put cucumber slices on your closed eyes while driving, right?
How does a car massage seat work?
Instructions for massaging your driver or passenger seat vary depending on your vehicle. In a Ford F-150 Platinum, for example, you can activate the massage function of the Active Motion Seats via the infotainment menu. Then select “Settings” and then “Seats.” Next, you can choose the driver or passenger and the type of massage you prefer.
Options include top rolling, bottom rolling, and air pockets in the seat that inflate and deflate to create the massage. You can customize the type of massage from any of the F-150 Limited’s five options. You can also press a button on the side of your seat to display the menu on the infotainment screen.
Which cars have massage seats?
Not long ago, buyers found massage seats exclusively in luxury cars, and they still do today. Rolls-Royce, for example, is happy to sell you seats at any position that use mechanical rollers and inflating air cushions to massage your back in more ways than we can count.
But massage seats are also available to us 99.9 percent people without billionaire budgets. In 2024, you’ll find massage seats in sedans, pickup trucks, and SUVs. Additionally, they can be found in luxury cars and cheaper mainstream cars.
Here are some 2024 models with massage seats:
Audi
Audi’s system has five strength levels. It is available on both front seats. The ultra-luxurious A8 features a VIP rear bench seat that replaces the three-seat rear seat with a pair of power-adjustable, heated and ventilated massage seats.
Bentley
Bentley’s massage seats offer multiple massage modes and multiple intensities controlled via the infotainment touchscreen.
BMW
BMW has some of the most adjustable massage seats on the market. Using a menu on the touchscreen, the driver and front passenger can select massage functions for the upper and lower body, shoulders, hips and lumbar areas.
Cadillac
Cadillac’s 22-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated seats feature roll and kneading massage functions, as well as an anti-fatigue setting that randomizes the massage pattern to keep a tired driver alert.
ford
With multi-contour massage seats in some SUVs and the F-150 pickup, the best-selling vehicle in America, Ford is bringing luxury features to the affordable vehicle classes. They are only found in top-of-the-line Platinum trims.
genesis
In addition to its 12-way power adjustment, the driver’s seat in the GV60 and GV70 has a 3-stage massage function.
Hyundai
Hyundai is making its Ergo Motion Seat available to Palisade drivers. It has multiple massage modes and intensities.
Light up
The lumbar stabilization system in the Telluride is programmable to activate seat massage every 30 or 60 minutes.
Land Rover
The Range Rover’s massage seats are simply decadent. They are 24-way adjustable and offer an astonishing 25 massage programs, including a “hot stone massage” that uses strategically placed heating elements for relaxation. They are only available in the first row of seats.
Lexus
If you want front seats with more power adjustment than you have fingers and toes combined, the LS offers 28-way power seats with multi-mode massage.
Lincoln
Some Lincoln SUVs can inflate and deflate seven separate air bladders in their seats to create a gentle massage.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes offers its Active Multicontour massage seats on many of its models. They have eight different massage modes, different intensity levels and the option of selective heating with hot stones. The opulent EQS electric vehicle even integrates it into its sleep mode and wakes the driver with a gentle massage.
Porsche
Porsche is known for the unlimited customization of its vehicles. This also includes the option of equipping some Porsche vehicles with massage seats. Porsche seats offer five intensity levels and five massage programs. But they’re not cheap – they add $2,000 to the price of the car.
Rolls-Royce
The Rolls-Royce Ghost offers massages for front-seat occupants and additional pampering for the second-row executive seat. In addition to the massage waves that extend from the tailbone to the upper back, a separate set of air cushions provides a stronger massage from the shoulders to the lumbar area.
Volkswagen
Real leather seats may not be available in the ID.4, but Volkswagen offers 12-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar massage.
Volvo
Volvo’s flagship models offer five massage programs, three intensity levels and three speeds for the front seat massage function.
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